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D. R. Ransdell
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Secrets of a Mariachi Violinist Paperback – October 1, 2016

by D. R. Ransdell (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 16 ratings
D.R. Ransdell would have never guessed that nostalgia for living in Mexico would lead her to join a mariachi band in Tucson, Arizona. Nor would she have guessed that learning by ear could be such a devilish challenge. Despite scheming rivals and flirtatious compadres, she persevered. She participated in stage performances and rowdy house parties while learning song after song. In her book the former Illinoisan recounts memorable evenings at El Mariachi Restaurant and describes the exasperating process of relearning technique and new musical traditions. Her cheerful vignettes inspire readers to embrace their own love of music as well as this amazing art form. Ransdell begins her story in Mexico, where she first encountered a mariachi band. Although she later played in an orchestra, she was intrigued by a friend’s tales of playing folk music. She loved teaching English in Durango, Mexico, but pitifully poor wages drove her to Tucson, Arizona, where she wiggled into a mariachi band herself. Getting into the group was the easy part. To her great surprise, none of the music was written down! She needed to learn parts without the benefit of sheet music, and then she needed to keep all the songs straight. She had no practice at learning by ear, and she didn’t have a strong musical memory. She had to resort to a tape recorder and lots of hours of practice to start the very long process of learning to fit in with the group. Despite hardships, she relished the time she spent performing at a local restaurant. She became friends with her fellow performers and learned to accept their foibles. Through set after set, she found immense pleasure in performing beloved songs. She also played at resorts, private parties, cemeteries, and open houses. She even had the chance to meet famous musicians such as Vicente Fernández and Vikki Carr. Once her group disbanded, Ransdell had to reinvent her musical self. She describes in detail the ego-shattering process of taking lessons and relearning to read music. She shares her musical aspirations but also speaks candidly of problems and laughable situations she encountered along the way. Her memoir is a love song to mariachi playing. The anecdotes, all truthful in nature, point out the challenges of learning this style of music but also detail some of the more immediate rewards. The information makes mariachi music more accessible to readers who are unfamiliar with this style, but it will draw empathy as well as laughter from music lovers as well as musicians, whether they play on stage or in their backyards.
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  1. Print length
    214 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    October 1, 2016
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.49 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1532726538
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1532726538
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 1, 2016
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 214 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1532726538
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1532726538
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.49 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 16 ratings

About the author

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D. R. Ransdell

D. R. Ransdell

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D.R. Ransdell is a writer, a traveler, and a musician. She's also a night owl--how else could she get any writing done? Although she's a native of Illinois, after a lovely stint in Mexico, she moved to Tucson, Arizona, where the sun is strong and the pools are inviting. By day she's a writing instructor at the University of Arizona.

Humorous Murder Mysteries:

Latest release:

PARTY WINE takes place in a village in Northern Italy where the natives construct party houses to keep their wine at a cook sixty degrees. However, the cellars are also perfect for a dead body or two, especially when the locals drink a little too much wine.

Andy Veracruz Series

In MARIACHI MEDDLER, a dangerous woman, a guilty conscience, and a mariachi band in jeopardy add up to Andy Veracruz's first adventure. In ISLAND CASUALTY, the mariachi violinist heads to Greece to relax. Instead of finding an island paradise, he's soon embroiled in local politics he only thinks he understands. In his latest adventure, DIZZY IN DURANGO, a missing woman leads him to abandoned children and a crazy mariachi fan. Will Andy ever get any rest? Not in the near future! When he takes a job in the orchestra, he accidentally becomes a SUBSTITUTE SOLOIST, but he's dismayed to find that being a soloist is the easy part! In BROTHERLY LOVE he and Rachel stage a show in Vegas, but when the personnel manager is kidnapped, Andy has to stop rehearsing and start sleuthing. BROTHERLY LOVE earned Third Place in the Arizona Authors Association 2022 Literary Fiction Contest.

Contemporary Fiction:

In AMIROSIAN NIGHTS, haunting melodies, moonlit beaches, and a handsome bouzouki player spice up a summer holiday! In THAI TWIST, an elephant statue, a long-lost relative, and a charming native add up to a chase through Thailand. In CARILLON CHASE, Gina looks forward to an internship with a travel company, little realizing that she'll be taking a long road trip to the Midwest! CARILLON CHASE earned First Place in the Arizona Authors Association 2022 Literary Fiction Contest.

Humorous Memoir:

SECRETS OF A MARIACHI VIOLINIST

D.R. Ransdell would have never guessed that nostalgia for living in Mexico would lead her to join a mariachi band in Tucson, Arizona. Nor would she have guessed that learning by ear could be such a devilish challenge. The former Illinoisan recounts memorable gigs and describes the exasperating process of relearning technique and new musical traditions. This title was a finalist in the 2019 Arizona/New Mexico Book Awards.

Please visit D.R. at http://www.dr-ransdell.com

For a few visuals, please visit http://www.pinterest.com/drransdell/boards/

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
16 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Heather Gifford, with The KBReview
    5.0 out of 5 stars What a Brave Soul You Are, DR Ransdell!!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    After reading this book two things are abundantly clear. 1. DR Ransdell can write. 2. She is extremely daring and brave.

    Her perseverance in the male dominated world of mariachi is inspiring but so is her willingness to live in another country, perform classical music, and teach English as a second language, while still managing to laugh about things most people would cry about. Her successes are hard won and she certainly deserves to be congratulated and celebrated for her accomplishments.

    If you're looking for an inspiring escape and are ready to learn a bit about what it takes to be a Mariachi member - grab this one! You won't be disappointed.

    Heather, with The KB Review
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Elizabeth Gunn
    4.0 out of 5 stars In a bright green cover so pretty and joyous it fairly shouts
    Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2017
    In a bright green cover so pretty and joyous it fairly shouts, “Read me!” D.R. Ransdell recounts the adventures of a classical violinist learning Mariachi, the captivating street music of Mexico.
    The author got a college degree in Spanish and took a job teaching English in Durango, Mexico. Friends took her along to clubs and bars where she learned to love Mariachi, the high sweet melodies of the trumpets, the romance of the soaring strings. Most of the players were men and they were all Mexican. She made friends with some of the players but never tried to perform.
    After five years, tired of being too poor to visit her family in Illinois, she moved to Tucson, began playing with the symphony there and teaching English as a Second Language at the University. But she missed the good times in Mexico and began to seek out places where Mariachi was performed. When her nostalgia reached fever pitch, she screwed up her courage and asked for a job.
    The rest of the book describes her struggles to become proficient at a fiendishly difficult art form. Nothing was written down, there were hundreds of songs, and even long-time players often disagreed about tempi and lyrics. They played indoors and out in all weather, often late at night, sometimes in rooms so crowded they risked poking bows into celebrants ears. But the enthusiasm of the crowds was catching; she persevered and soon played regularly at a restaurant named El Mariachi.
    That restaurant closed recently and D. R. is too busy to play much anymore, but the effort wasn’t wasted. She now writes a humorous mystery series about a Mariachi player named Andy Veracruz. Her latest title is “Dizzy in Durango,” and you will want to read it as soon as you finish this warm and funny memoir.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • D. Borchert
    5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful journey into the world of Mariachi through the eyes of a Female Player!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    D.R. Ransdell has a great self-deprecating sense of humor that made me laugh out loud. Her insights on the machismo of Mariachi are rich and funny. Her dedication to the craft of musicianship is impressive. I can’t wait to read her mystery series staring a Mariachi player turned sleuth. Brava!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Laugh-out-loud good!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    A from the heart, laugh-out-loud book.Great inside look at life in the mariachi world. Definitely recommend!
    One person found this helpful
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  • MizUpfront
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and well written
    Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Fun and well written. The adventures are amazing, the sad times are real, and the success of this hard working woman is well earned!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • infinity+1
    5.0 out of 5 stars A good, honest, look at life from a mariachi player's experience.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2017
    Format: Paperback
    This was a very entertaining book. As the basic summary has been given in the description and other reviews, I won't repeat it here and just get to my impressions. You learn quite a bit about the mariachi world, which is fun and enlightening. What is perhaps less expected is a very honest look at human psychology - the author does not paint herself as a faultless heroine, but instead reveals the quirks and failings of herself right along with those of her companions throughout her memorable past episodes. For example, she is witness to some of her colleague's extra marital flirtations, and is surprised to find herself being more defensive of them because they are her friends, despite the fact that she finds this behavior inappropriate. This is well balanced with accounts of her personal triumphs and the redeeming qualities of the people she has come across as well. There are no truly evil villains or flawless angels - just real people - and that's what a good, honest memoir is made of.
    Another great part of this book that the title does not convey is that she is also a teacher, and her insights into teaching and university student/teacher life are very true and refreshing. While the focus is on her mariachi experience, parts of her life that are intertwined with it (such as teaching and dating) are included, and this helps round out the stories she relates.
    My final note would be to mention the insight this gives into what it's like to be someone who is enmeshed in a culture they love, even when they're not genetically tied to it, as well as showing others who are bi-cultural and how they navigate the world.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • AZ Ellen
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fun way to learn about the art of Mariachi
    Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2020
    This was a fun and informative way to learn about the art of mariachi playing. It is a memoir of the author's experience in learning to play mariachi at a time when women mariachi players were not very common. This story is told with humor and humility. I learned a lot about the art of of mariachi playing and gained a new appreciation for the genre.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Anne77
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Interesting
    Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2017
    Format: Paperback
    Secrets of a Mariachi Violinist by D.R. Ransdell is an autobiography that tells how she came to be a member of a Mariachi band. D.R. Ransdell has led an interesting life. A woman in a Mariachi band was not the usual. She tells of her life in Mexico and the move back to Tucson. She shows the different cultures and how they can exist and be enjoyed and loved. Her experiences in the Mariachi band continue to be part of her life as she uses them in the books that she writes. It was a story that made you laugh and cry and kept your attention. It is well written.

    I received a copy thru a Goodreads Giveaway.
    2 people found this helpful
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